Trace-carrier



( No Model.)

M. E. ZELLER.

- TRACE GARRIER.

' No. 266,574. Patented Oct. 24, 1882 NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

MELANCTHON E. ZELLER, OF BLUFFTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B. NORTH 85 00.,OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

TRACE-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,574, dated October24, 1882.

Application filed August 18, 1882.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELANCTHON E. ZEL- LER,of Bluifton, in the county ofAllen and State of Ohio, have invented anew Improvement in Trace-Carriers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and theletters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part ofthisspecification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective view; Fig. 2, a vertical central sectionillustrating the operation of the carrier.

This invention relates to a device to be attached at the junction of theback and hip straps ot'a horses harness to afford convenient means forengaging the cockeye ot' the trace, and commonly called thetrace-carrier and the invention consists in a frame to which the strapsare respectively attached, combined with an elevated ring or support,with a loose tongue hung to said support at each side so as to hang freevertically downward therefrom, as more fully hereinafter described.

The frame is composed of the four sides A, which form bars for theattachment of the back, hip, and crupper straps in the usual manner.Above this frame is a second frame, B, preferably of ring shape, whichserves as a support for the tongues. This part B is held above the frameA by posts C, and so as to leave a free space between it and the frameor part of the harness below. To this support B at each side a tongue,D, is hung so -as to swing freely and hang in a vertical position by itsown gravity, as seen in Fig. 1. This completes the article.

(No model.)

The cockeye E is attached as seen in Fig. 2. Its eye end is pressedinward against the tongue D, which turns it to the position seen inbroken lines, Fig. 2, until the eye has passed beyond the end ofthetongue. Then the tongue falls down within the eye. The eye, then leftfree, draws the tongue against the frame A and makes the engagementcomplete. To detach the trace, move the cockeye inward until the tonguemay be turned away from the eye, as indicntedin broken lines. Then thecockeye may be withdrawn. For convenience of thus turning the devicesthey are provided with a thumb-piece, d, above their pivots.

I am aware that trace-carriers have been made with tongues hinged abovethe base, and therefore do not claim broadly such a construe tion but Iam not aware of a trace-carrier in which the tongues have been hung soas to swing free upon a support above the base, and hang down toward thebase in a vertical position, retaining that position by their owngravity only, which are the essential features of my invention.

I claim The herein-described improved trace-carrier, consisting of thelower or base frame, A, and the ring-shaped frame B, supported bysuitable standards, C, and having tongue D loosely pivoted thereon atopposite points, as described, said tongues being adapted to hang in-avertical position by their own gravity,

7 substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

MELANCTHON E. ZELLER.

Witnesses J. H. PATTERSON, H. N. ORONINGER.

